Government to decide soon on succession plan for new Bank Negara Governor - Najib

The government will decide soon on the succession plan for a new Bank Negara governor, said Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Speaking to Malaysian journalists at the end of his week-long working visit to the United States here Wednesday (Thursday in Malaysia), Najib said the decision was for the government to make.

Najib was asked to comment on the succession plan and a news report quoting Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz as saying she did not want any politician to take over the position at the central bank.

Zeti, who is due to retire in April, had said in Kuala Lumpur that she would not stay for another term.

She said the process of finding a successor was being undertaken by the Governance Committee of the Bank Negara Malaysia Board which comprises independent directors from the private sector.

Replying to another question, Najib said that upon his return to Malaysia he would discuss with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi the plan for the country to recruit 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers which has raised concerns.

I think we need to make sure that whatever move we make will fulfil the needs of the economy. Some sectors of the economy need workers, like the plantation industry, he said.

However, he cautioned that the government needed to address the concerns over any social fallout in terms of problems created by the large inflow of workers.

Ahmad Zahid had said that the government planned to bring in 1.5 million Bangladeshi workers over the next three to five years to meet the needs of industries, but many quarters have raised concerns over the impact of such a move.

On the view of the Conference of Rulers that some provisions of the National Security Council Bill 2015 should be refined, Najib said the government took note of the matter.

Najib said the legislation did not at all usurp the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

It was aimed at tackling security threats, he said.

For example, the Lahad Datu incident; such additional powers are necessary," he said.

The Lahad Datu incident refers to the Malaysian military's foiling of an attempt by militants from the southern Philippines to invade Sabah between Feb 11 and March 24, 2013.